Saturday, 23 April 2016

Just because.....

Hello all, it has been a very long time since I created anything just because....... Sometimes life is so hectic, the 'must do' and 'have to' gets in the way of the 'want to' and you forget why you got into this hobby in the first place!

After a long break I have returned to Scrapbooking in a 12x12 format and I thought I would share these two layouts which weren't made as workshop projects or for display, but simply because I had the photos and the germ of an idea.

I found these photos languishing on my phone but when I went to print them the photo paper slipped in the printer and they printed over two sheets. I decided to use them anyway, just as they were chopped in strange places, but I felt they actually added to the chaotic feel of the layout. The papers I used are a mix of Prima's Garden Menagerie and Lost and Found from 7Dots Studios with a bit of washi tape and some Kaisercraft stamps. The whole thing came together really quickly and I am pleased with the finished page.

The second layout started with these striking photos of the Water of Leith Walkway in Edinburgh, a city very close to my heart. I was born in Edinburgh, was a student at Edinburgh University and the Headmaster and I started our married life in the city some 36 years ago. Like all cities where underneath their public persona there often lurks a darker side, Edinburgh had it's share of less attractive areas which have been redeveloped and transformed over recent years. Each time we return we find ourselves amazed at the changes, sometimes so significant we find ourselves lost without familiar landmarks, but thrilled at the vitality emerging from the desolate.

I decided to go with the reflections theme with this layout using my last remaining sheets of my all time favourite Dreamer collection from 7Dots Studios. The base paper was a little darker than I wanted so I gave it a light wash of gesso to knock it back a bit, the dies are from Hero Arts Stamp and Cut Planner range by Kelly Purky, the stamps from Kaisercraft, finished off with the title from the reverse of the base paper, reversed. I was really pleased with how this one turned out, exactly as I envisioned - a rare occurrence for me lol!

Thank you for joining me, I won't stay away so long again as I have resolved to make time for more projects 'just because'.

Hello! I just love both your layouts! The first (with funny camera phone shots) is so cute and quirky! Awesome colors. I also love the Edinburgh shots...I was there as a child to visit. My Paternal Grandparents came from Ayr (Saltcoats and Stevenston) and I still have oodles of family there. Lovely country! You are SO lucky to live there! <3